Walsall 2 – 0 Blackpool

Blackpool manage to end the year as they ended last year, with a loss. Pool started this year with a 2-1 win at Wrexham on New Years Day and there wasn’t anything to celebrate about this New Year Eve performance as the Seasiders saw out 2005 with a whimper.

Manger Simon Grayson made two changes to the side that defeated Port Vale on Boxing Day, John Murphy was replaced by Scott Vernon, Murphy had been ill all week and only managed a place on the bench. Ciaran Donnelly came in for Simon Wiles with Jason Wilcox taking up wiles Position upfront on the left.

First Half

Walsall were forced into an early change, predicted star man Matty Fryatt was injured on ten minutes, on came James Constable who would turn out to be star man with a brace later on in the game.

The first real chance of the match fell to Walsall, soon to depart Portuguese striker Jorge Liato fired a shot on 23 minute, but Lee Jones saved comfortably.

The Seasiders then had three chances to take the lead, but shots from John Doolan, Ciaran Donnelly and then Keigan Parker all sailed over the crossbar.

Walsall then came the closet to breaking the deadlock, Peter Clarke clearing a Jorge Liato header from the line

Second Half

The second half saw Walsall come out the better of the two sides, and it only took one minute for the Saddlers to break the deadlock.

A Simon Osborn free-kick found substitute James Constable who headed in from 12 yards to give Walsall the lead.

Then the Seasiders then managed to concede again, a problem that has plagued the Seasiders all year. A defeated Mark Wright cross found Constable who finished into the bottom corner.

Despite all efforts which included Keith Southern hitting the bar and introduction of John Murphy, Simon Wiles and Lewis Gobern the Pool didn’t manage to carve out any opportunities.

Summary

All in all a disappointing end to what has been a disappointing year for the Pool. The side that manage to beat Wrexham at the start of the year included such players as Stuhr-Ellegaard ,Clare, Lynch, and with the Pool’s official website announcing that the club are in negotiations with two possible signing who knows what names could appear in the starting line for the Southend Match.

L Jones, D Warrender, T Butler, P Clarke, M McGregor, C Donnelly (60 L Gobern) , J Doolan, K Southern, J Wilcox (60 S Wiles) , S Vernon (66 J Murphy) , K Parker Subs: L Pogliacomi, R Edwards, S Wiles, J Murphy, L Gobern

Click here for full team line-up and match stats.

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